SRT vs. Other Protocols: Is Secure Reliable Transport For You?

Do you want to watch a sports match, an online auction, or a Q&A where your video freezes or the reactions arrive after the moment has already passed? Exactly! That’s why in 2025, one of the biggest challenges for broadcasters is keeping latency low and streams reliable, even when the internet connection isn’t.

The protocol you use to deliver video plays a big role in this. RTMP and HLS are still widely used, WebRTC powers real-time interactions, and SRT (Secure Reliable Transport) has been gaining ground for its ability to keep streams stable and secure over less-than-perfect networks.

At Dacast, we recognize that no single protocol works for every scenario. That’s why our platform supports multiple options today and has SRT on the roadmap. The goal is to give our users the flexibility to choose the protocol that fits their broadcast, whether that means scaling to large audiences or minimizing latency for highly interactive events.

Keep reading to learn exactly how SRT works, what makes it different from other protocols, and how to decide if it’s the right choice for your streaming setup.

Table of Contents:

• What is SRT (Secure Reliable Transport)?
• How Did SRT Protocol Come About?
• How Does SRT Live Stream Work?
• Benefits of SRT Live Streaming
• Evaluating SRT: Advantages, Drawbacks, and Dacast Recommendations
• SRT in Professional Workflows
• SRT vs. Other Protocols: How Dacast Supports Multiple Streaming Options
• The Future of SRT in Streaming
• FAQs
• Conclusion

What is SRT (Secure Reliable Transport)?

Secure Reliable Transport protocol, or SRT, is an open-source streaming protocol first developed by Haivision, the Canadian company behind the Makito encoder. It was designed with one purpose in mind: to reduce latency and make video delivery more reliable across unpredictable internet connections.

What sets SRT apart is its ability to correct for packet loss, jitter, and bandwidth fluctuations while keeping video integrity intact. That makes it especially valuable in situations where timing is critical, such as live sports, breaking news, or interactive broadcasts. Beyond major broadcasters, it’s also gained traction among independent creators streaming to platforms like Twitch or YouTube.

Today, adoption of SRT has grown dramatically. According to Haivision’s 2024 Broadcast Transformation Report, nearly seven out of ten broadcasters (68%) now use SRT for live video transport, holding steady as the most widely adopted protocol. 

For comparison, RTMP is still used by 56%, while 45% rely on UDP. These numbers reflect the continued trust professionals place in SRT for its low-latency performance, strong security, and flexibility.

SRT’s open-source nature and the SRT Alliance have played a big role in driving adoption, creating a global community of developers and organizations improving the protocol together.

At Dacast, we support multiple streaming protocols today, with the SRT integration being on our roadmap. We are here to ensure broadcasters have the right tool for every use case, whether that’s catering to huge audiences or keeping latency as close to real-time as possible.

How Did SRT Protocol Come About?

The SRT protocol was first introduced by Haivision in 2013 as a way to deliver low-latency, reliable video over less predictable networks. To accelerate adoption, the company made the protocol open-source on GitHub in 2017 and allowed broadcasters and developers worldwide to use and improve it freely.

Industry recognition soon followed. In 2018, SRT earned a Technology & Engineering Emmy Award for its contribution to live video transport, and since then, it has been embraced by major broadcasters, streaming platforms, and CDNs. Companies like Microsoft, Wowza, Vimeo, and now Dacast, as SRT alliance members in 2025, have helped make it a trusted standard across the industry

How Does SRT Live Stream Work?

SRT was built to solve the limitations of older protocols like RTMP and to improve reliability compared to HLS. To understand why it works so well, let’s look at how it handles video transport.

Transport Layer: UDP vs. TCP

RTMP relies on TCP (Transmission Control Protocol). TCP establishes a connection before sending data, ensuring packet order but introducing higher latency when retransmitting lost packets.

SRT uses UDP (User Datagram Protocol), which doesn’t require a formal connection. This makes it faster and better suited for real-time video, but it also means packet recovery must be handled at a higher level.

Error Recovery: ARQ and FEC

So, how to minimize jitter and buffering, keeping playback smooth even when networks fluctuate? These two methods can help:

• Automatic Repeat reQuest (ARQ): SRT detects missing packets and requests retransmission, reducing visible errors.
• Forward Error Correction (FEC): By sending extra recovery data, SRT can rebuild missing packets without retransmission delays.

Security and Encryption

SRT streams are protected with AES-256-bit encryption, the same standard used in government and military applications. This ensures that content remains secure while in transit, unlike RTMP, which lacks modern encryption by default.

Resilience and Adaptive Bitrate Streaming with SRT

When network conditions change, SRT automatically adjusts the stream bitrate to prevent buffering. For example, if bandwidth dips, the stream will lower its quality temporarily rather than stalling. This adaptability is critical for events where maintaining continuity matters more than absolute quality.

Sender – Receiver Workflow

The constant feedback loop between sender and receiver allows SRT to adjust in real time for packet loss, jitter, or bandwidth changes.

• Sender: Collects the video feed from your encoder and packages it into UDP-based packets.
• Receiver: Validates, decrypts, and reassembles the stream for playback.

Benefits of SRT Live Streaming

Ultra-Reliable Streams with FEC & ARQ

SRT keeps your live video flowing smoothly even under challenging network conditions. Using Forward Error Correction (FEC) and Automatic Repeat Request (ARQ), SRT recovers lost packets automatically or reconstructs them before viewers notice. This means interruptions, dropped frames, and jitter will be rare while still maintaining minimal latency. You no longer have to choose between speed and reliability because SRT delivers both.

Low Latency for Real-Time Engagement

Latency matters more than ever in live auctions, sports, or virtual classrooms, where even a fraction of a second can affect the experience. SRT reduces latency to as little as 150 milliseconds for seamless interaction, synchronized multi-location events, and engaging live experiences that older protocols like RTMP or HLS struggle to match.

Firewall Traversal Made Simple

Corporate networks and secure environments often block streams unintentionally. SRT is designed to traverse these firewalls with ease, letting viewers in offices, schools, or government facilities watch without interruptions. The stream just works without complex IT workarounds.

Interoperability Across Equipment

It works with virtually any SRT encoder and decoder setup, CDN, or software player, whether it’s OBS, VLC, or specialized broadcast gear. This flexibility ensures existing workflows remain intact and future-proofs your streaming setup. You can upgrade or scale without ripping out your infrastructure.

Cost-Effective & Open Source

SRT is open source, meaning no licensing fees and a community continually improving the protocol. Combined with the ability to use existing internet connections and hardware, this makes SRT a cost-efficient solution for both startups and enterprise broadcasters. Organizations can implement secure low-latency video transport in 2025 without a heavy capital investment.

5G & Satellite Streaming Optimization 

Modern networks like 5G and satellite connections are incredibly fast, but their bandwidth can fluctuate wildly due to congestion, weather, or signal interference. SRT addresses these challenges by dynamically adjusting packet delivery and bitrate in real time. This ensures minimal jitter and uninterrupted playback even when conditions are unstable. You can now rely on mobile uplinks for live reporting from crowded stadiums, remote outdoor events, or moving vehicles without sacrificing quality. 

Remote Contribution for Multi-Location Events

Global events increasingly require multiple teams contributing live feeds from different locations. SRT ensures these contributions arrive securely and synchronized, even over long distances with variable network conditions. For example, a hybrid conference with presenters on three continents can combine all streams into one central production hub seamlessly. This reduces the need for expensive private networks or specialized satellite links while still delivering professional-grade broadcast quality.

AI-Driven Network Adaptation

AI-powered network monitoring allows SRT to optimize streams proactively. Machine learning algorithms analyze latency, jitter, and packet loss in real time and adjust buffers, error correction, and bitrates automatically. Viewers experience smoother, more consistent streams even during peak traffic hours or when network conditions fluctuate rapidly, which is something traditional protocols like RTMP or HLS cannot handle reliably without manual intervention.

Real-World Example with Dacast: Global Product Launch Over 5G 

A multinational company can now leverage SRT for a live product launch across New York, Tokyo, and Berlin, using 5G uplinks to send feeds to a central production hub. SRT ensures each contribution remains synchronized and secure, handling latency spikes and network variability automatically. 

As a result, the live broadcast is smooth and cohesive, providing audiences worldwide with a near-real-time experience. For the production team, this removes the complexity of managing multiple locations and inconsistent networks, making high-quality, large-scale live streaming far more achievable.

Evaluating SRT: Advantages, Drawbacks, and Dacast Recommendations

While SRT offers impressive benefits for live streaming, no technology is perfect for every situation. So, let’s take a look at the advantages and disadvantages of the SRT protocol side by side, explore how Dacast supports and mitigates potential limitations, and help you decide when SRT is the right choice for your workflow.

When Is SRT the Best Choice?

• Interactive, low-latency events like live sports, auctions, or Q&A sessions.
• Multi-location contributions or hybrid events that need seamless feeds from several sources.
• Security-sensitive streams where encryption and controlled access are critical.
• Mobile or remote streaming over 5G or satellite networks, where traditional protocols struggle.

When SRT Might Not Be Ideal

• Scenarios demanding ultra-low latency, like financial trading or milliseconds-sensitive operations.
• Situations where legacy equipment or software lacks SRT compatibility and upgrades are impractical.
• Extremely high-scale broadcasts which require extensive network testing and preparation to avoid hiccups.

SRT in Professional Workflows

SRT fits seamlessly into modern streaming operations, helping professionals deliver high-quality, low-latency video across complex setups. Its flexibility makes it an ideal real-time streaming protocol for remote production, live events, and multi-location broadcasts.

Integration with CDNs and Cloud Encoders

SRT can connect directly with content delivery networks and cloud-based encoding services, ensuring that live streams reach viewers globally with minimal buffering. Its adaptive capabilities allow streams to maintain quality even when network conditions fluctuate, and that’s what makes it a reliable choice for professional-grade broadcasts.

OTT Platform Compatibility

For organizations that deliver over-the-top (OTT) content, SRT serves as a secure, low-latency transport layer to feed platforms like Dacast. This integration allows broadcasters to reach audiences on any device, from desktops to mobile apps, without compromising performance or reliability.

Remote Contribution and Multi-Site Feeds

SRT enables remote teams to contribute live feeds from multiple locations into a central production hub. Whether it’s a sporting event, concert, or corporate launch, SRT simplifies the process of aggregating high-quality streams from diverse sources, allowing for smooth, coordinated broadcasts.

Why Professionals Rely on SRT

• Ensures reliable streaming over unpredictable networks.
• Maintains low latency for interactive and real-time content.
• Works with existing streaming infrastructure without requiring major upgrades.
• Supports advanced workflows, including 5G and satellite streaming.

Explore Dacast’s live streaming platform to see how SRT integration can simplify your professional workflows and boost the global streaming performance.

SRT vs. Other Protocols: How Dacast Supports Multiple Streaming Options

Choosing the right streaming protocol for your organization or broadcast will affect latency, security, scalability, and viewer experience. Dacast supports a variety of protocols to give you flexibility, including RTMP, HLS, and WebRTC, with SRT coming soon. Having multiple options ensures you can match the right protocol to each workflow, from global broadcasts to interactive low-latency streams.

Understanding How SRT Compares to Other Protocols

Let’s take a look at how SRT compares to HLS, RTMP, WebRTC, RIST, and MPEG-DASH, comparing key factors like latency, security, scalability, device compatibility, cost, and adoption. Use this as a quick reference to see which protocol aligns best with your streaming needs.

Security at a Glance

Security is a critical factor for any live streaming workflow. This table breaks down how SRT stacks up against other protocols in terms of encryption standards, token authentication, and DRM compatibility, helping you choose the safest option for your content.

When to Choose Each Protocol

This table highlights the strengths and ideal use cases for SRT, RTMP, HLS, WebRTC, RIST, and MPEG-DASH, helping you decide which option fits your workflow, audience, and technical requirements.

The Future of SRT in Streaming

SRT has already become a crucial tool when it comes to reliable and low-latency live video, but the protocol isn’t standing still. In 2025, evolving network standards, AI, and higher-resolution streaming are shaping the next phase of SRT adoption and functionality.

AI-Enhanced Network Optimization

Artificial intelligence is being integrated into live streaming workflows to dynamically manage congestion, adjust bitrates, and predict network instability. SRT streams can leverage AI-driven adaptation to maintain smooth playback even during fluctuating network conditions, making streams more resilient for complex, multi-location productions.

SRT Over QUIC

The QUIC live video transport protocol, designed to reduce latency and improve connection reliability, is gaining traction across streaming applications. SRT over QUIC could combine SRT’s low-latency and error-correction features with QUIC’s fast handshake and improved packet delivery, further optimizing live video performance on global networks.

UHD, HDR, and 8K Readiness

With higher-resolution video becoming mainstream, SRT is evolving to support UHD, HDR, and even 8K streaming. This ensures broadcasters, sports leagues, and corporate events can deliver cutting-edge visual quality without compromising reliability.

SRT Alliance Momentum in 2025

The SRT Alliance continues to expand, now boasting hundreds of members, including major tech and media companies. The organization actively promotes standardization, interoperability, and adoption of SRT across CDNs, encoders, and cloud platforms, reinforcing SRT as a professional-grade streaming standard.

Industry-Specific Recommendations in 2025

• Sports: SRT is the best protocol for live streaming sports where every millisecond counts, ensuring smooth coverage for global audiences.
• Education: Multi-campus or remote learning environments benefit from SRT’s low-latency, reliable feeds.
• Government & Corporate Communications: Secure, encrypted delivery keeps sensitive information protected while reaching large, distributed audiences.

Dacast’s Readiness for the Future

Dacast continues to invest in evolving protocol support, preparing for SRT over QUIC, AI-optimized streaming, and next-gen UHD/HDR workflows. This ensures customers always have access to the most advanced, reliable streaming solutions.

FAQs

What is the difference between SRT and RTMP in 2025?

SRT is built for modern streaming challenges, handling packet loss, jitter, and fluctuating bandwidth to provide low-latency, high-quality video. RTMP remains widely supported and simple to deploy, but it’s less reliable over unstable networks and doesn’t offer the same security or error correction features.

Is SRT better than WebRTC for ultra-low-latency streaming?

WebRTC excels for browser-based, interactive streaming, especially in meetings or small-scale real-time applications. SRT, however, provides professional-grade low-latency streams with advanced error recovery and AES-256 encryption, making it ideal for larger-scale broadcasts and mission-critical events.

How does SRT handle packet loss compared to other protocols?

SRT uses Forward Error Correction (FEC) and retransmissions to recover lost packets, maintaining smooth, low-latency streaming over unreliable networks. In contrast, RTMP and HLS typically drop or delay packets, which can result in buffering or degraded video quality.

Can I use SRT for 5G streaming?

Yes, SRT adapts in real time to network conditions, making it reliable over 5G, satellite, or mobile connections. Its error correction and low-latency design are particularly useful for remote broadcasts or multi-location events.

Does Dacast support the SRT streaming protocol in 2025?

Dacast will soon fully integrate SRT while continuing to support RTMP, HLS, and WebRTC. This ensures streamers can choose the most suitable protocol for each workflow and easily scale across different audiences and devices.

Is SRT secure enough for corporate or government streaming?

Absolutely! SRT streams are encrypted end-to-end with AES-256 and can use token authentication. This makes it compliant with strict security standards, ideal for corporate communications, government broadcasts, or other sensitive content.

When should I use SRT vs. RIST or HLS?

SRT is best for low-latency, secure, and professional live events. HLS works well for large-scale, on-demand streaming where latency is less critical. RIST is suited for contribution workflows, connecting broadcast infrastructure across different locations with reliability and error correction.

Conclusion

SRT has proven itself as a reliable, low-latency video streaming protocol for professional media workflows, but the choice ultimately depends on your specific needs.

Choose SRT when you need ultra-low latency, secure delivery, or are streaming to multiple locations with unpredictable network conditions.

Stick with RTMP, HLS, or WebRTC for simpler setups, broad compatibility, or browser-based streaming where low-latency isn’t critical.

By understanding the strengths and limitations of each protocol, you can select the right solution for your audience, workflow, and technical requirements.

Explore how Dacast can future-proof your workflow with multi-protocol streaming. Try our free 14-day trial and see how professional-grade tools and support can help you deliver smooth, secure, and high-quality video to any audience.

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